Contact breaker points gap

[Paul Domoney]

I have a MK1 Capri.

My workshop manual states the contact breaker gap as .025" which is very large compared to normal cars of say.015"

Is this a mistake? When I set the gap at 0.25" the car does not run as smoothly as when I set it at 0.15"

I would be interested as to what other members set their gap to.

Warm regards from Zimbabwe.

Paul

[Noel]

Gap is supposed to be 0.025 inches, or 0.6mm so about thumbnails thickness.

0.25" is a lot. Have you missed out a zero?

[Paul Domoney]

Thanks Noel.

You are quite correct,,025" it is. But I still think that is big as most gaps I work with are,015" and the car does not like the big gap. so I have put it back to ,015"

[Peter-S]

Isn't the gap different depending on the distributor? The bigger gap is a Ford (Motorcraft) black cap dizzy and Bosch red cap is 16 to 20 thou.

[nemo]

My original 1969 Ford workshop manual states it has a `Ford distributor and spark plugs` which I guess is Motorcraft (no Bosch) and it gives one figure for gap, .025" Same as the Motorcraft in later models. If you change the gap even slightly you will change the timing quite a lot which may make it run better or worse. Ideally get a dwell meter and set the dwell to 45 - 50`, then set the timing with a strobe.

[Paul G]

My original 1969 Ford workshop manual states it has a `Ford distributor and spark plugs` which I guess is Motorcraft (no Bosch) and it gives one figure for gap, .025" Same as the Motorcraft in later models. If you change the gap even slightly you will change the timing quite a lot which may make it run better or worse. Ideally get a dwell meter and set the dwell to 45 - 50`, then set the timing with a strobe.

[Mc Tool]

On some older bikes ( 2 strokes ) adjusting points gap is the only way to set timing. Timing on my old DT was 1.8mm btdc, no advance , set by poking a screwdriver thru the flywheel and adjusting points , obviously not while the engine is running so a bit of arseing about.

[Paul Domoney]

Thanks for all the advice guys. Still working on it.